u/zackattack0720

I saw Boston at their Florida camp today and... my god.

Oh sure, they were pretty damn good last year. [2nd] to [1st] is surely no joke. But this - what I saw today - this is now something entirely different. This is something that I've seen before. I've seen it and I recognize it as sure as I know my own face. I cannot mistake this feeling for anything other than what it most assuredly is. It is something I saw, and felt, back in 2012 with Crown; I saw and felt it again in '14 with TILT.

And this thing is - a Super Saiyan.

That's the only way I can explain it. Those corps in those years took that invisible step that upped their power to a level they had never achieved before. Maybe they didn't win it all, but that was not why we remember those shows. We remember because they had crossed some invisible line and the ultimate results of that was inevitable. Even if it took another season, even if it took two.

Boston has crossed that line. It's not even about where they place this year. It's about putting everyone else; the fans, DCI, and the top 3, on notice. They know how to go Super Saiyan now, and they are coming.

We've had corps do 'dark' shows. We've had corps do artsy shows. We've had 'clever', and minimalist and Fellini-esque and psychedelic and you name it shows. Prepare for Angry. Animal Farm in comparison was just sarcastic with a touch of upset. Wicked Games was dark with a touch of brooding.

What is coming this year is controlled and brutal anger. I know it because even Gino was surprised enough by it to raise an eyebrow and say out loud, "these kids are very good at doing angry".

Anyways, I'm calling it right now. Top [1].

They'll fight it out with someone, possibly [Bloo]. Here's the Shamaliyan plot twist though. It's entirely too early to tell of course, but if they keep ramping up their power level at this same rate, they may very well leave [2nd] in their wake.

There, I said it. There is a definite possibility that, despite all I just said and what I've just predicted, that I might be underestimating them.

My final project for my senior year capstone engineering class (high school) was to create a novel solution to a problem. My group decided to work on a 3d printable flip folder mount that would work for both snare and tenor drums.

Currently this product is only compatible with Pearl marching drums (as far as we are aware - we didn't have the opportunity to test it on any other brands). It's not perfect, but its better than having to put a flip folder on a drum and hope it doesn't slide off.

Here is the Fusion 360 file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hc59veI4OgHXwt4RV33GI3xtZWLIlI03/view?usp=sharing

Our final presentation on the product: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M4eUkBTlaiPMlV-wulU8FAD04ZAYV_L1/view?usp=sharing

If you want to take this concept and tweak it, maybe even fully revamp it, go ahead. Nothing is patented, do what you want with the model. We just wanted to release this as a completely free 3d printable model that others can easily access.

I’m planning on auditioning for the Marching Hundred. I got admitted for pre-business and intend on trying to get into Kelley, but obviously I’ll have to maintain all As for my first semester. How bad is the time commitment for the Marching Hundred? Is there anyone here that has faced a similar predicament?

Thanks.

I've looked through a few forums as well as this subreddit and I haven't really found anything pertaining to drum corps specifically on this topic.

I'm a snare drummer and I get a decent amount of hand tremor during performances. It gets the point where it's extremely difficult to control anything on the low end dynamically. I've tried a few methods like deep breathing and meditation before performances, but I haven't found anything that works effectively or consistently.

I was listening to a podcast the other day where this guy was interviewing a professional musician and the guy said that he hadn't discovered beta blockers before his first performance so he was shaking really bad. I've never heard of this stuff but after some pretty surface level research I've learned that there is a prescription medication called Propranolol that will suppress hormones like adrenaline and is incredibly effective for reducing hand tremor and other performance anxiety related side effects. Apparently a huge majority of the professional music industry uses it as well as politicians for public speaking. It doesn't seem to have any negative side effects and it isn't addictive.

Obviously I'll consult a medical professional before purchasing anything but I wanted to ask if anyone else specifically in the drum corps community has experience with beta blockers and if they would be willing to share their experience.